Apparatus for soaking or sterilizing ice-cream cans.



.APPLICATION FILED JAN.6,1911.

Patented Apr. 28, 1914.4

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

T. L. vVALEMUS. APPARATUS FOR SOAKING QR STERLIZING ICE CREAM-(JANS.

APPLICATION FILED JAN.6, 1911.

Patented Apr. 2 8, 19M,

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HEODOEE-L. VLERIU'S, OF FORT ATKINSON, WSCOSIN, ASSIGNOR TO OREAMERYPACKAGE MANUFACTURNGOOMPANY, 0F CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, A CORPORATION erILLrNors.

arranarnsron soAKING on 'STERILIZING ion-CREAM cans.

nannten.

. Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Apr. es, 1914.

Application led January G, 1911. Serial No. 601,150. p

' To all 'whom `t may concern:

Bc it known that I, THEoDonn L. VALE- nrUs, a citizen of the UnitedStates, residing at Fort Atkinson, in the county of Jefferson and Stateof Wisconsin, have ing vented certain new and useful Improve' vis a sideelevation of an apparatus embodying the features of my invention. Fig. 2is a front elevation thereof. Fig. 3 is a lfragmental sectional viewthrough the wheel for supporting and moving the cans. Figs. tand 5 aresectional detail views of said` wheel.

The embodiment of my invention which I have herein shown comprises asemi-cyl -lindrical tank '1, which may consist of two side castings 2and` an intermediate wall .3 of sheet metal forming the bottom, frontand rearwalls of the tank. The castings 2 may have supporting legs l1thereon.

The' tank 1 is adapted to contain a quantity Vef water, which may beheated' in any suitable manner. The means herein shown for heating. thewater in the tank comprises a steam supply pipe 5, a pipe 6 connectedtothe steam pipe 5 and extending beneath the .tank-1 and branch .pipesv6a 6b connecting the ends of the pipe 6 with lthe lower part of thetank. Within the pipe 5 adjacent to its discharge end may be fixed amuffler or. injector 7. It will be seen that the tank 1, andthe pipes 66 6b aii'orda continuous or endless path through `which the water maylbe 'caused by the-inflowing steam l to circulate, so that the '-yvaterinthe tank 1 will, bel

maintained atalhigh'temperature,i.`

1a isv an outlet for overflow from the tank 1.

8 is a drain cock.

Within the tank 1 is. rotatably mounted a structure in the form of awheel 9 having a plurality of compartments, each of which 1s adapted toreceive a can a to be soaked or sterilized. The wheel 9 comprises acentralshaft 10 rotatably mounted in suitable bearings in the sidecastings 2, said shaft having.

fixed thereon two side flanges 11 of polygonal outline lying adjacentthe side walls' 2 ,of the tank. To the flanges 11 are Xd two disks 12concentric with the shaft 10, said anges and disks .forming the sides ofthe wheel 9. As will be seen from inspection of Fig.- 1 the diameter ofthe wheel 9 is substantially equal to .the interior diameter of the tanki 'The compartments hereinbefore referred to for receiving' the cans tobe washed may be `formed by between the disks 12 and having anges 14.secured to said disks. The bottoms of lsaid compartments consist ofplates 15 resting upon the edges oi the side ianges 11, said plateshaving flanges 16 at theirends which are securedto the disks 12. Thewalls 13 and .15 have -perforations 17 therein to permit the water inthe tank to pass freelyv through said walls in the rotation of the wheel9. In' order that the cans may drain properly when they are carried outof the water, the bottom ,walls 15 ofthe pocketsv are made sloping asshown in Fig. 3. To this end one of the side flanges 11 may-be made ofless diameter than the other. Stops 18 secured tothe diskY 12 adjacentthe lower ends of the walls 15 serveto space the open ends of the cans afrom said disk so as to permit free drainage from the cans.

At' the outer edges of the Vside walls 13 of the pockets are crossbraces191,extending from one disk 12 tothe 'other andhaving their endssecuredto said disks, 'said l braces extending in opposite directionsfrompbtheradial side walls 13 extending A outer edge of each side wall 13. Thesecross braces insure that the cans shall not l roll out of the pockets asthe pockets enter plane of the axis Upon said cross-bar ,are pivoted twodogs 23 each having a stud 24 running on the periphery of one of thedisks 12,' the ends of said dogs being adapted to engage the edges ofthe cross-braces 19 to rotate the wheel- 9 when the levers 21 are swungforwardly.

'upon the lower` end of each of the levers 21, as herein shown, so as toautomatically return said levers to an approximately vertical positionafter the wheel 9 has 'been given a artialy rotation.

' otationof the' wheel 9 in a backward direction may be prevented bysuitable means, such as a toothed wheel 26 xed upon one end of theshaft10 and a spring dog 27 fixed to the tank 1 and adapted to engage saidtoothed wheel.

In the use of the apparatus, when it is desired to soak the cans beforeplacing them in a .washing machine, a suitable uantity of water isplaced in the tank 1 angl wash ing powder placed therein to form asoaking solution of the desired strength. The water is preferablymaintained at a lukewarm temperature. The operator places a can in oneof the pockets at the forward side of the machine, and then gives thewheel 9 a partial rotation by means of the levers t0 bring the nextsucceeding pocket into "position to receive a can. n

When the apparatus is to be used for sterili'zing cans after they havebeen washed, a quantity of clean water'` is placed in the tank 1`and isbrought to a high temperato the high temperature imparted to the'4 cansin the water, the cans quickly dry after leavingthe water at the lefthand side of the ta'nk (Fig. 1), so that when they `reach the point ofremoval they are dry.

The sloping position of the bottom walls 15 permits all water to drainfrom the interior of thepans, and the stops 18 hold the open ends of thecans away from the adjacent If desired, a weight 25 may be placed tureby means of the steam flowing through.

disks 12 a suiicient distance for ythis purose. v f

While I have herein described my invention in considerable detail, I donot limit myself to the exact construction shown, be

the curved sides and bottom of t e tank,

bottom plates extending between the sides of said wheel-like structure,the ends of said plates being secured to one of the sides of saidstructure closer to the axis thereof than the o posite end of saidplates, and walls exten 111g between the sides of said structure, saidwalls and bottom plates forming a series of separate compartmentsextending longitudinally of the'axis of the wheel-like structure, eachadaptedl to receive an ice cream packing can with its 'open end adjacentto the end of said bottom plates nearest to the center of saidstructure', the outer sides of said compartmentsl bein open wherebythecans roll in contact with the curved sides and bottom of the tank.

2. In an apparatus of the character described, the combination of asemicylindrical tank and a wheel-like structure. rotatably vmounted insaid tank, said structure comp rising two parallel sides extending closeto the curved sides and bottom of the tank, bottom plates extendingbetween the sides of said wheel-like structure, the ends of said platesbeing secured to one of the sides of said structure closer to trie axisthereof than the opposite end of said plates, walls extending betweenthe sides of said structure, said wa sand bottom plates forming a seriesof f Jsepara-te compartments extending longitudinally of the axis of thewheel-like structure, each adapted to receive an ice cream packing'canwith its open end adjacent to the end of said. bottom plates nearest tothe center of said structure, the outer sides of said compartments beingopen whereby the cans roll in contactl with the curved sides and bottomof the tank, and

cross-pieces on the wheel-like structure adjacent the open Sides of thecompartments to prevent cans from rolling out of the compartments asthelatter enter and leave the orizontal plane of the axis of saidstructure. A3. In an-apparatus of the character described, thecombination of af tank, a wheellike structure rotatably mounted in saidtank, said structure comprising Aa shaft joui'naled in the side walls ofthe tank, a trave] upon the pe1'ipher-` of one of said pair of disksfixed on Said shaft, radial walls exfending between said disks andforming containenreceiving compartments, 5 braces extending between-saiddisks at the disks, Saiddogs beingk a` apl'ed to engage Said braces for`rotating Said Wheel-like structure.

in testimony whereof I affix my signature 1-3 outer edge of said radiai.Walls, a pair of in presence of two witnesses.'

'levers pivoted on the-ends of said shaft, a crossba-r connecting theouter ends of said levers, and dogs mounted on Said crossbar, 10 saiddogs each having a portion adapted to THEODORE L. VALERIUS. Witnesses A.O. TONNE, F. P. LONSDALE.

